Selective bandwidth connectivity through network line cards

摘要

Public communication networks increasingly need to provide customers with a range of communication services, from baseband voice service, to computer data communications, to high speed digital data communications for multimedia and the like. Many such services would be blocked by existing telephone network line cards, which provide coding and decoding (CODEC) between analog and digital signals and process digital signals only at a relatively low, fixed bit rate. In accord with the invention, intelligent signal detection and control added to a line card selectively bypasses the CODEC and the associated connection to a time slot limited telephone exchange. The selective bypass connection provides a connection to an alternative network functionality capable of providing higher bandwidth digital services. In the preferred embodiment, the bypass provides a connection through an adaptive digital signal processor with a programmed controller. The digital signal processor provides coding and decoding functions, adapted to the particular communication service requested and the physical level signal protocol used over the customer's line. The digital signal processor also provides a two-way digital communication link to a relatively fast data switch, such as an edge device of an asynchronous transport mode (ATM) network. The data switch and associated data network provide a full range of digital communication services of various bandwidths or bit rates as may be requested by individual.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a line unit, a signal from a customer premises terminal via a first communications path, the first communications path being supported by a local link and a primary link, the local link connecting the customer premises terminal to a concentrator network of the line unit, the primary link connecting the concentrator network to a network switch, and the concentrator network connected to a digital signal processor via a bypass link; monitoring the signal by a signal detector of the line unit, wherein the signal detector is coupled to the local link via the concentrator network; determining by the signal detector whether the signal includes an initiation signal; and selectively connecting the local link to the bypass link when the signal includes the initiation signal to provide the signal to the digital signal processor.